Air conditioner

ABSTRACT

The present invention discloses an air conditioner that includes a humidity and temperature sensor disposed at an air outlet of the air conditioner for detecting the temperature and humidity of the outgoing air anytime and sending the detected value to a controller, so that the controller adjusts an electronic expansion valve for modulating the supply of refrigerant and increasing or decreasing the temperature of the electric heater to accurately control the constant humidity and constant temperature of the outgoing air. In the meantime, the condensed water outlet of a condenser is connected in series with a hot water pipe coil of a heat recycle device, so as to achieve the effect of recycling heat, reducing electric power consumption, and enhancing product practicability.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an air conditioner, and more particularly to an air conditioner that includes a humidity and temperature sensor disposed at an air outlet of the air conditioner for detecting the temperature and humidity of the outgoing air anytime and sending the detected value to a controller, so that the controller adjusts an electronic expansion valve for modulating the supply of a refrigerant and increasing or decreasing the temperature of the electric heater to accurately control the constant humidity and constant temperature of the outgoing air. In the meantime, the condensed water outlet of a condenser is connected in series with a hot water pipe coil of a heat recycle device, so as to achieve the effect of recycling heat, reducing electric power consumption, and enhancing product practicability.

2. Description of the Related Art

If a general air conditioner is operating at an outgoing air temperature of 25° C., a humidity of 40% RH, and an airflow of 6000 CMH, the outgoing air temperature of the evaporator is designed to keep an appropriate temperature difference with the indoor air. Since a heat exchange is conducted between the evaporator and the indoor air, and the temperature of the evaporator is low, and the temperature of the indoor air is high, therefore lowering the temperature of the indoor air can condense the water molecules in the air to produce dews, and thus further achieving the dehumidifying effect. Referring to FIG. 1 for the schematic view of the layout of a prior art air conditioner, the required outgoing air temperature and humidity are set to an outgoing air temperature controller 22 and an outgoing air humidity controller 21 respectively, and then a fan motor 20 is turned on, and a frequency converter 19 is adjusted to modulate the rotary speed to obtain the required airflow. The compressor 11 is turned on, and a control circuit separately starts the operations of an electric heater 17 and an electric humidifier 18.

The compressor 11 sucks the refrigerant gas and compresses the gas into a high-pressure, high-temperature refrigerant gas, so that the refrigerant gas enters into a condenser 12, and the condensing water condenses the refrigerant gas into a high-pressure liquid refrigerant. After the liquid refrigerant is filtered by a liquid valve 13 and a drying tube 14, the liquid refrigerant passes through a temperature sensing expansion valve 15 to lower the pressure, such that the refrigerant is vaporized and cooled to enter a pipe coil of an evaporator 16, so that the refrigerant flows into the tube to absorb the heat of the air at the external side of the tube, so as to lower the air temperature and carry out the dehumidification. The flow of the refrigerant is controlled by the temperature sensing expansion valve 15 and evaporated in a gaseous form when the air absorbs the heat in the pipe coil, and then the gas is returned to the compressor 11 for compression. Such process constitutes a cycle.

The indoor air (23° C./50% RH) enters into the air conditioner by a sucking force of the fan motor 20, and passes through the air return filter 25 into the pipe coil of the evaporator 16, and conducts a heat exchange with the refrigerant to lower the temperature to approximately 8° C. and reduce the humidity. The electric heater 17 heats the outgoing air to a temperature of 25° C., and the electric humidifier 18 boils the water in the tank by the electric energy for carrying out the humidification, so that the relative humidity of the outgoing air can reach the required set value (40% RH). The fan motor 20 sends the air from the air pipe to a constant temperature and humidity manufacturing environment. The thermometer 23 of the air conditioner detects the outgoing air temperature at the air outlet, and the outgoing air temperature controller 22 controls the output of the electric heat of the electric heater 17, and the humidity meter 24 of the air conditioner air outlet detects the relative humidity, and the outgoing air humidity controller 21 controls a water vapor output of the electric humidifier 18, so as to control the temperature and humidity of the outgoing air.

Since a prior art air conditioner goes through an electric heating for increasing the temperature and evaporating water vapor for humidification. After air passes through the pipe coil of the evaporator 16, both temperature and humidity are lower than the required outgoing air conditions, and the discharging quantity of the compressor 11 is constant. Therefore, excessively lowering the temperature and humidity becomes an inevitable operation, which causes a waste of power consumption of the electric heater 17 and the electric humidifier 18.

To overcome the existing shortcomings of the prior art products and make the application of an air conditioner more convenient and practical, the inventor of the present invention based on years of experience in the related manufacturing area to conduct extensive researches and experiments, and finally invented an improved air conditioner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide an air conditioner that comprises a humidity and temperature sensor disposed at an air outlet of the air conditioner for detecting the temperature and humidity of the outgoing air anytime and sending the detected value to a controller, so that the controller adjusts an electronic expansion valve for modulating the supply of refrigerant and increasing or decreasing the temperature of the electric heater to accurately control the constant humidity and constant temperature of the outgoing air. In the meantime, the condensed water of a condenser is connected in series with a hot water pipe coil of a heat recycle device, so as to achieve the effect of recycling heat, reducing electric power consumption, and enhancing product practicability.

Referring to FIG. 2, an air conditioner of the present invention comprises a compressor 31, a condenser 32, a liquid valve 33, a drying tube 34, a temperature sensing expansion valve 35, an evaporator 36, an electronic expansion valve 37, a heat recycle device 38, a water valve 39, a bypass valve 40, an electric heater 41, a frequency converter 42, a fan motor 43, a temperature and humidity control circuit 44, a controller 46, a temperature and humidity sensor 45, and an air return filter 47.

The compressor 31 has an end coupled to the condenser and the other end coupled to the evaporator 36, and an electronic expansion valve 37 disposed at a backflow pipe 311 between the evaporator 36 and the compressor 31.

The condenser 32 includes a liquid valve 33, a drying tube 34, and a temperature sensing expansion valve 35 separately disposed at a refrigerant output pipe 321 of an output end and coupled to the evaporator 36.

An input end of the evaporator 36 is coupled to the temperature sensing expansion valve 35, and an output end is coupled to the electronic expansion valve 37.

An input end of the heat recycle device 38 is coupled in series with a condensed water outlet of the condenser 32, and an output end is coupled to a water valve (39), and a bypass valve 40 is disposed between an input pipe 381 and an output pipe 382 of the condensed water outlet.

The electric heater 41 is provided for heating the outgoing air.

The air return filter 47 is provided for filtering the incoming air.

The fan motor 43 controls the airflow of the outgoing air by the frequency converter 42.

The temperature and humidity control circuit 44 is coupled to the air conditioner air outlet, the electronic expansion valve 37, and the electric heater 41, such that the temperature and humidity sensor 45 installed at the air conditioner air outlet detects the outgoing air temperature and humidity, and the controller 46 computes the dew point temperature to control the electric heater 41 and the electronic expansion valve 37 for a precise control of temperature rise and dehumidification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the layout of a prior art air conditioner; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the layout of an air conditioner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1 for some of the components of the present invention before assembling an air conditioner and FIG. 2 for the air conditioner of the present invention, the compressor 31 absorbs a refrigerant gas to carry out a compression, such that the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas enters into the condenser 32 and conducts a heat exchange with the cooling water to produce a refrigerant liquid, which flows out of the condenser 32. After the refrigerant liquid passes through the liquid valve 33, the drying tube 34, and the temperature sensing expansion valve 35 for lowering the pressure and temperature, the refrigerant liquid flows into the evaporator 36 to conduct a heat exchange with the air. The controller 46 throttles the electronic expansion valve 37 to control the refrigerant flow at a sucking end of the compressor 31, so as to accurately control the required dehumidifying quantity, and allows the humidity at the air outlet of the air conditioner to meet the requirement of the outgoing air. Such arrangement can prevent an excessive dehumidification and after the refrigerant gas passes through the electronic expansion valve 37, the refrigerant gas flows back to the compressor 31 to constitute a cycle.

The cooling water at a temperature of approximately 26° C. enters into the condenser 32 and absorbs the heat of the refrigerant, its temperature rises to approximately 31° C. The cooling water enters from the input pipe 381 into the pipe coil of the heat recycle device 38 and conducts a heat exchange with the air outside the pipe coil to heat up the air to a temperature of approximately 21° C. After the cooling water flows from the output pipe 382 out of the heat recycle device 38, the water temperature is approximately 27° C. The cooling water flows out from the pipeline and the water valve 39, and the bypass valve 40 can adjust its openness to control the quantity of heat recycling water, so as to prevent the heat recycle quantity from exceeding the requirement.

The indoor air (23° C./50% RH) is controlled by the fan motor 43 and the frequency converter 42 and sucked into the air conditioner through the air return filter 47 and passed through the pipe coil of the evaporator 36 to reach a temperature of approximately 10.8° C., and then the temperature rises to approximately 21° C. after passing through the heat recycle device 38. Finally, the temperature rises to 25° C.±0.1° C. and the humidity reaches 40% RH±1% of the required outgoing air conditions after passing through the electric heater 41.

The temperature and humidity sensor 45 is installed at an air outlet of the air conditioner for detecting the temperature and humidity. After the controller 46 computes the dew point temperature, the controller 46 controls the electric heater 41 and the electronic expansion valve 37 separately for the precise control of the temperature rise and dehumidification. The controller 46 controls the quantity of the refrigerant flowing into the sucking end of the compressor 31 by the electronic expansion valve 37, such that the dew point temperature at the air outlet of the evaporator 36 reaches the required dew point at the air outlet of the air conditioner, and the humidity just reaches the requirement, so as to exempt the electric humidifier.

The controller 46 detects the temperature at an air outlet of the air conditioner and conducts a precise control for an electric heating output of the electric heater 41 to heat the air from approximately 21° C. to the required 25° C.±0.1° C.

The present invention uses the temperature and humidity sensor 45 at the air outlet of the air conditioner air for detecting the outgoing air temperature and humidity, the controller 46 for controlling the temperature rise of the electric heater 41, and the electronic expansion valve 37 for precisely controlling the supply of refrigerant of the compressor 31, so as to precisely control the temperature and humidity of the outgoing air of the evaporator 36 and prevent excessive dehumidification without the need of installing an additional humidifying equipment. Further, the present invention connects the condensed water outlet of the condenser 32 in series with the pipe coil of the heat recycle device 38 to achieve the heat recycle and appropriately heat the air close to the outgoing air temperature, so as to reduce the electric power consumption. In the meantime, the airflow condition can be controlled to achieve the effect of precisely controlling the temperature and humidity of the outgoing air.

The foregoing structure of the present invention definitely can achieve the expected function and effect, but the invention has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.

In summation of the above description, the present invention definitely can achieve the expected effect, and the disclosed structure herein enhances the performance than the conventional structure and further complies with the patent application requirements. 

1. An air conditioner, comprising: a compressor, with an end coupled to a condenser and another end coupled to an evaporator; said condenser at an output end of a refrigerant output pipe having a liquid value, a drying tube, and a temperature sensing expansion valve coupled to said evaporator; the output end of said evaporator, coupled to said temperature sensing expansion valve; an electric heater, provided for heating an outgoing air; an air return filter, provided for filtering an incoming air; a fan motor, for controlling the airflow of said outgoing air by a frequency converter; a heat recycle device, with an input end coupled in series with a condensed water outlet of said condenser and an output end coupled to a water valve, and a bypass valve being coupled between an input pipe and an output pipe of said condensed water outlet, characterized in that: said backflow pipe disposed between said evaporator and said compressor includes an electronic expansion valve; said temperature and humidity control circuit is coupled between an air outlet of said air conditioner air outlet, said electronic expansion valve, and said electric heater, such that said installed temperature and humidity sensor at an air outlet of said air conditioner detects the temperature and humidity of an outgoing air, and after said controller computes a dew point temperature, said controller separately controls said electric heater and said electronic expansion valve to conduct a precise control for a temperature rise and a dehumidification. 